Chapter 327 - 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, A Lifetime of Bitterness

Chapter 327: Chapter 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, A Lifetime of Bitterness

"Sad? My only son is dead too. Who’s there to feel sorry for me?"

"Huh?"

"He’s dead!"

A furious look crossed Aunt Luo’s face. "He was driven to his death by that bunch of stubborn old fools."

"There, there. Don’t be sad." Xie Yiren patted her back comfortingly. "Try not to think about it." Perhaps because they were kindred spirits in misery, Xie Yiren could deeply understand how the older woman felt.

Aunt Luo composed herself and forced a smile. "I’m sorry, I lost control for a moment. I don’t know why, but I just feel like talking when I’m with you."

"Mhm. The important thing is to move on and not accept your fate. I’m not accepting mine anymore, either."

And it was true. The Xie Yiren of today no longer accepted her fate. She’d even cast aside her identity as a Saintess—what fate was there left to accept!

Aunt Luo said, "By the way, I saw that resume in your hand earlier. Are you looking for a job?"

Xie Yiren replied, "Yes, I’m looking for a job."

Aunt Luo sized up Xie Yiren. She had an eye for luxury goods. A single glance told her the high heels on Yiren’s feet were custom-made Salvatore Ferragamos, worth tens of thousands of US dollars—it was Audrey Hepburn’s favorite brand. Then there was her jacket, a new piece from Gucci’s spring collection that cost 80,000 RMB. She didn’t need to see anything else. The outfit alone was worth at least several hundred thousand yuan.

"Are you short on money? That outfit you’re wearing is anything but cheap. Are you just doing this for the experience?"

"I... I..."

"Oh, I see. Your boyfriend must have bought them for you."

"Yes." Xie Yiren nodded. Su Ran had bought everything for her. He was especially particular about the high heels she wore. "I... I don’t want to use his money anymore. I want to earn my own. I don’t want it to seem like I’m some kept woman."

"You want to earn it yourself? What about your parents?"

"I don’t have parents. I only found out recently that I’m an orphan. It just makes my boyfriend dote on me even more. He bought all these clothes for me, and he paid my tuition. He doesn’t want me to get a job because he’s afraid people will bully me, but I just don’t want to use his money..."

Aunt Luo watched the young girl, head bowed, fiddling with her fingers as she confessed her worries. ’Sure enough,’ she thought, ’for all its hustle and bustle, the world is full of suffering souls.’

"The way your boyfriend acts, it’s clear he loves you very much."

"Yes, he’s very good to me. Even though I don’t have any relatives left, I think of him as my closest family."

"I hope your boyfriend will always treat you this well."

"He will."

"That’s good."

’Aunt Luo knew that a man who appeared in Xie Yiren’s life at a time like this was a ray of light in her darkest hour. If that light were to one day leave her, she herself would probably just... disappear...’

The two continued to stroll for a while longer until Aunt Luo grew tired. Xie Yiren walked her to the school gate, where a male assistant got out of a parked Mercedes-Benz and opened the door. Aunt Luo had grown quite fond of Xie Yiren, so she took the initiative to exchange WeChat contacts. "Weren’t you looking for a job? I know a few people in the dance world. If a suitable position opens up, I can make an introduction. A woman has to rely on herself. If you live off a man’s money, you have no voice of your own."

"Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking! He’s even started getting stern with me, and I don’t feel like I have the right to talk back."

"Haha. Bye-bye."

As she watched the Mercedes-Benz drive away, Xie Yiren’s mood brightened considerably. Humming a little tune, she headed back toward campus.

In the back seat of the Mercedes-Maybach, Aunt Luo watched Yiren’s receding figure and felt as if she were looking at her younger self. They were exactly alike.

"Ah Wei, make the arrangements."

"Right away."

Ah Wei was the assistant. He made a note to contact a dance studio and find a job for Xie Yiren. For a powerful figure like Aunt Luo, if someone kept her company and she enjoyed the conversation, she would naturally show her gratitude.

Ah Wei asked, "Aunt Luo, where are we going now?"

"To the airport. We’re returning to the Imperial Capital. Su Ran is coming to the Imperial Capital tomorrow. Heh... I’m quite curious to meet this ’little friend’ of mine who refuses to add me on WeChat and insists on communicating through email every day."

...

「Jiangning.」

At the university entrance.

Su Ran had once remarked that Shen Qingning always wore jeans and that he wanted to see what she looked like in a skirt. Shen Qingning remembered this. To thank Su Ran for saving her life, she had gone out and bought a black, silky midi skirt, which she paired with a white chiffon blouse for a classic black-and-white look. She was waiting at the university gate when the traffic light ahead turned green, unleashing an army of electric scooters. SCREECH... A Yadea scooter pulled to a stop right in front of her. "Class President?" Shen Qingning said, staring at the rider in surprise. It was Su Ran.

"What’s with the surprised look? The traffic is terrible, so I didn’t take the sports car. An electric scooter is much more convenient."

"What’s with that look? So, am I not fit to ride an electric scooter?"

"Fit."

"A fit? Are you throwing a fit? Why are you insulting me?"

"No! I said ’fit’ as in... suitable!"

Su Ran laughed. He was just joking. He looked Shen Qingning up and down. "New skirt?"

"Does it look good?" She lowered her head, a little shy, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping for a compliment from Su Ran.

"It goes down to your mid-calf. Way too conservative. Thumbs down!"

"Really? The sales associate said this skirt was gorgeous and that it looked great on me."

"You actually believed a salesperson? Sigh... Get on. Let’s go get something to eat."

Shen Qingning let out a dejected "oh." ’Too conservative?’ She was indeed a very conservative girl—the kind who would blush just from her hand brushing against a boy’s. So never mind sitting behind Su Ran now with one arm wrapped around his rock-hard abs; she was blushing even harder.

"Class President, is this skirt really that ugly?"

"It’s alright. Has a real 70s-80s vibe."

"You..."

The electric scooter weaved through the streets, sometimes braking suddenly when a car up ahead slammed on its brakes, other times stopping for a red light. Every time they came to an abrupt halt, Shen Qingning would be thrown forward, bumping softly against Su Ran’s back due to inertia. Her face flushed red. When they finally arrived at the restaurant, Shen Qingning noticed two distinct, clean circles on Su Ran’s back. It was a good thing it wasn’t summer. If it had been, those two spots would have been damp, and that would have been truly embarrassing.